Biology

Physiology

Slowking are regular Slowpoke who suffered a peculiar event. The King's Rock they rarely hold attracts Shellder, and gets bitten on its head instead of its tail. The poison that some Shellder secretes reached Slowpoke's brain, turning it extremely intelligent. Upon evolving, the lighter-coloration on the tip of Slowpoke’s tail disappeared. Like Slowbro, Slowking also has a scaled underbelly, if lower in position compared to Slowbro’s.

In appearance, Slowking looks much like a bipedal Slowpoke with its Shellder resembling a crown. There is a small red gem on the upper part of this "crown". Slowking also somehow gains a red and white ruff around its neck to emphasize its "regality."

Gender differences

None.

Special abilities

Slowking possess an amazing intelligence, to the point that it can match that of a human's, and it can understand and speak the human language. They can plan situations with effective results. Every time Slowking yawns, Shellder injects more poison into it, making it even more intelligent.

Slowking has a weaker Defense stat than Slowbro's as a trade-off to having strong Special Defense. Slowking can use Nasty Plot and the rarely seen Trump Card attack while being unable to learn Slack Off and Amnesia on its own (those two moves would have to come from the Slowpoke it evolved from).

Behavior

Because Slowking is much more intelligent than Slowpoke or Slowbro, wild Slowking must lead colonies of wild Slowpoke and Slowbro in times of crisis.

Diet

In the anime

Major appearances

Slowking first appeared in The Power of One. This talking Slowking gave Ash advice on where to find the orbs. This same Slowking made another appearance in a special episode called Slowking's Day that showed what he does on a daily basis.

Minor appearances

A Slowking appeared in Larvitar and Unown's vision in the episode Address Unown. As all the Pokémon in this vision were seen recently, it is possibly the same one that appeared three episodes beforehand.

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

A hint of Slowking's existence first appeared in Volume 7, while Lorelei was musing on Slowbro's enhanced abilities after it had been bitten by Shellder. She remarked that Slowpoke would likely have improved abilities if it was bitten on its head.

However, Slowking's proper debut was in Volume 13, under the ownership of Chermaine. It was able to use its Snore attack to show that it could attack even when asleep.

Slowking appeared once more under the ownership of Lorelei in Volume 23.

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Trivia

In the TCG, Slowking's Southern Islands card is the only card depicting a Pokémon introduced after Generation I to have a square evolution box, in Japan only. In English, the Southern Islands collection used the Neo-era designs, which, like all later card layouts, feature a circular evolution box.

Interestingly, the Shellder of Slowbro's shiny form is Gold, like a shiny Shellder. This is not so for shiny Slowking.

Despite being slow king, Slowking can be female.

Origin

While Slowking is based on a royal king, it also vaguely resembles a pygmy hippopotamus and has traits of a hermit crab.

Name origin

Slowking's name is a combination of slow and king. Its Japanese name is a combination of 宿主 yadonushi, (parasitic) host, and English king. The yado part of Slowking's Japanese name may also refer to 宿借り yadokari, hermit crab.